Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina: Larin off the bench changes the opener

Cyle Larin came off the bench and rescued Canada in a 1-1 draw with Bosnia & Herzegovina. He entered in the 76th minute and scored in the 78th, turning Jesse Marsch’s selection call into the defining story of the night. It was Canada’s first-ever men’s World Cup point, and Larin had not scored for Canada since 2024 before the equaliser.

Why Marsch's bench call mattered

Marsch did not hide from the decision after the match. "I knew Cyle wasn't happy about not starting, and we had a brief conversation about that," he told goal.com. "He did. Even when I didn't put him in the first group, and I waited to put him in later, he was ready."

That came after Marsch had started Tani Oluwaseyi instead of Larin. The choice looked risky during a flat stretch for Canada, but Larin made the change count almost immediately. His 7.6 rating was Canada’s best attacking mark among starters, and he did it in just 18 minutes.

Jonathan David's quiet night leaves a selection question

The other side of the front line did not land the same way. Jonathan David was substituted in the 61st minute after a poor performance, and Marsch was blunt about it. "Johnny didn't have his best day," he said. "We'll need him in this tournament to be at his best."

David’s 6.2 rating backed up the eye test. Canada did not get the level of threat it usually expects from its most important attacker, which is why the bench ended up deciding the result. The 1-1 draw gives Canada a point, but Marsch will still want a sharper first-choice attack in the games ahead.

More than 43,000 fans packed into Toronto Stadium for the opener, and Canada vs Bosnia & Herzegovina was the first meeting between the sides. Canada had also gone 0-1-6 all time in the tournament before this draw, so the result at least stopped that run from getting worse.

The next test is Qatar's Group B trip on June 18, before Canada face Switzerland on June 24. Marsch has already seen one bench call pay off, and he now needs the rest of the attack to catch up.